Re-Imagine Your Messaging!

“What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas”---Having been born and raised in Las Vegas, this slogan reminds me of the good ole days? The original slogan was created in 2003 by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and advertising agency R&R Partners. It was a homerun! It quickly became an instant "cultural phenomenon" according to Advertising Age. It was the Recruiting Slogan of the Century, two centuries with average # of visitors to Las Vegas 35-42 million from 2003 to 2020. Second only to New York City

I remember in January of 2020, seeing the debut of Las Vegas’ new slogan 'What happens here, only happens here'. I thought to myself, why on earth would you change the infamous slogan? But then I thought, “maybe it is time for something new”. The new tourism slogan was officially unveiled in a 60-second ad during the broadcast of the Grammy Awards on Jan. 26, 2020. R&R Partners was again the advertising agency behind the slogan. In December, for the first time in Las Vegas history, McCarran International Airport recorded 50 million passengers on the year. Tourism authorities aim to surpass that number with the help of the new slogan – one that pitches Las Vegas as a center of unique experiences.

In less than six short weeks after the launch of this slogan, the world came to a screeching halt. The Pandemic known as COVID19, or the Corona Virus, entered our world and Las Vegas, a city who never sleeps, was dark, completely shut down. This is the first time the entire strip has been shut down since the JFK assassination. It is hard to wrap our minds at how this has affected everyone in every nation, and entire cities shut down. ‘Las Vegas has become one of the most striking places in the United States to be able to see the toll the crisis has taken on fun and leisure.’ The same casino signs that welcomed visitors now read “Stay safe, stay strong, we look forward to welcoming you back soon,” from the MGM Grand, and “Doors closed, hearts open” at Palace Station. ‘ (The Guardian) 

I once heard someone say, “The genie is out of the bottle and we will never be able to put the genie back in the bottle.” 

So, the question is how do you bounce back, how do you recover and how do you put the pieces back together?  How do you market tourism in Las Vegas when we have no idea what the “New Vegas” will look like. According to a narrator with USA Today,  "The world has changed, and Vegas is changing with it." On Monday, May 18th, 3 ? months after the last campaign was launched, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and R&R Partners, launched a new 30-second television spot featuring the newest campaign “A new Vegas for the new reality." The new campaign is called “Reimagined” and offers a toned-down glimpse of Las Vegas, focusing on outdoor recreation and intimate settings. 

What can we learn from this? It is time to “Reimagine” ourselves, our companies and the way we do business. It is time to find a New Angle to recruit our talent. You can’t use the same slogan from 20 years ago or even 3 months ago. Don’t be afraid to modify the message and to reinvent your company culture to reflect our new normal. It’s ok, we are all navigating through this together. Start slow…after all, “Rome wasn’t built in a day” your recruitment strategy shouldn’t either. 

Here are some helpful links to get you started: